Credit: Katie Gritzinger. Bob Cobbs, 61, of Cresco, Iowa, arrived at the Mini on the Mack after completing a 6,000 mile cross country road trip in his 2013 Cooper S Roadster.

A line of Minis Coopers crosses the Mackinac Bridge on the way to the Upper Peninsula on Saturday. Nearly 850 drivers showed up. The record is 1,450 Minis, set in 2009 in London. / BMW

A field of Minis and their owners lined up in Mackinaw City for the Mini on the Mack rally. / BMW/Mini

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ST. IGNACE — They didn’t break a Guinness World Record for number of Mini Coopers Minis in a single parade, but the848 drivers who showed up to cross the Mackinac Bridge on Saturday had a good time making the attempt.

The BMW-produced cars, with a base price of $20,525, made the trek as part of Mini on the Mack. It started in Mackinaw City about 10 a.m. and finished in St. Ignace about 1 p.m. A post-parade party wrapped up the event at Little Bear East Arena in St. Ignace.

“No matter what, this is a huge number of Minis in northern Michigan, so this is a success,” said George Sharpe Jr., general sales manager at Mini of Grand Rapids. Sharpe dreamed up the Mackinac record attempt after sponsoring a Mini event in Traverse City in 2011.

The record of 1,450 Minis in a parade was set in 2009 in London, drawing on half a million registered Minis in Britain. Tom Salkowsky, the U.S. marketing chief for Mini, drove in Saturday’s event and said the Mackinac attempt had merit, considering Mini sold its 500,000th car in the U.S. in April.

“Without a doubt, this was the largest gathering of Mini owners in one place in the U.S. in the 11˝ years since the Mini was introduced here,” Salkowsky said.

Announced less than a month ago, the Mini on the Mack drew Minis of all shapes, sizes and colors, some from as far away as Florida and California.

“I’ve never seen this many Minis at one time,” said Bob Cobbs of Cresco, Iowa, who participated after completing a 6,000-mile road trip in his 2013 Cooper S Roadster.

“I’ve never been at anything like this,” said Mike Rose of Houghton, as he counted cars leaving the parade assembly area in Mackinaw City. Rose drove his 2004 Mini Cooper S down from the Keweenaw Peninsula to take part in the event. He said he attended to encourage fellow Mini owners to return to the Upper Peninsula next year for the first Copper Cooper Cruise on Aug. 21-24 in Houghton.